Episode 2: All Eyes On Paris Hilton

If you’ve been keeping up with me, you should already know that the novel I’m working on has three main ingredients: Paris Hilton. 💋 Cult trap. 🔐 Time travel. ⏰

I know the combination sounds out of the ordinary, and, trust me, it is so much more unhinged than anything you can possibly imagine. That’s why I love it.

Today, I’d like to talk about how Paris came to grow into the inspiration behind my protagonist.

I’ve admired Paris for a long time. From The Simple Life to Ibiza gigs, from ruling the Y2K era to putting edible glitter on everything she eats, Paris is sliving the days away. She is THAT girl. And yet, I truly believe she is one of the most misunderstood celebrities of our times.

It saddens me that there are still people who believe she is just this “Barbie doll fantasy” who only knows how to party and cause trouble, because I see her in a completely different light: a bright businesswoman who is always a few steps ahead of everyone. Paris knows how to entertain and put on a character for the public, without losing sight of herself. There’s something fascinating about the way she’s managed to stay iconic for so long without chasing clout and she makes it seem so effortless.

Paris is the trend. She is the blueprint. She doesn’t chase popularity, she invents it. And that kind of celebrity status, where she doesn’t have to pretend to be relatable, and her it girl energy are at the heart of my protagonist’s journey.

I read Paris: The Memoir a couple summers ago, and it still haunts me to this day. In it, she writes about pop culture, the troubled teen industry, fame, her family, and the girl behind the smiles and the fake tan. Paris is fully aware of her privilege, yet that doesn’t take away from her resilience to share the lowest moment in her life with the world. It’s a truly inspiring book, and I urge you to grab yourself a copy and read it.

Fast-forward to Summer’s Over. My novel is all about reinvention and finding oneself after seemingly losing everything. It explores identity and its fragmentation in contemporary society. Can we be ourselves in front of other people? Who are we when no one’s watching? Are these two versions of ourselves the same, and why do we slip from one into the other so often? Is it our desire to people-please and feel belonging? Is it a defence mechanism? Summer’s Over comments on the cult of celebrity, and, in more detail, a high profile figure who is so alluring and magnetic and has all eyes on her.

I am not going to share much at this stage, but just imagine the following: someone with Paris Hilton’s level of fame, at the peak of their career, suddenly disappears. The attention, the status, the spark - all taken away. Who will this character become under these new conditions? And will they ever be able to go back to the person they used to be? Keep your eyes open to find out.

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Episode 1: First Drafts